Are high-flying Royals value for money?
The Queen’s aides have insisted the monarchy is value for money despite the Royal Family’s use of expensive chartered flights. An official trip by the Prince of Wales to Sri Lanka, Australia and back from Fiji on a chartered plane cost nearly £300,000. According to the Buckingham Palace accounts, which were published today, a chartered flight by the Duke of York to the Far East to promote British interests cost just under £125,000. Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, revealed that the Queen and the royal family cost each person in the country 61p per year – the same as in 2003-2004. It was also disclosed that the Queen has received a business rate rebate on Buckingham Palace of more than £1million. Westminster City Council had doubled the rateable value in 2000, but palace officials fought the increase in a lengthy appeal and successfully won the large refund. Mr Reid said of the figures this year: “We believe this represents a value for money monarchy. We’re not looking to provide t
